Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
thumb|A copy of the Rules. The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition are a collection of two hundred and eighty-five sayings that form the basis of Ferengi philosophy. ( ) History of the Rules The Rules of Acquisition were written by Gint, the first Grand Nagus of the Ferengi people. According to a dream Quark had (which may or may not have been accurate), calling them "rules" was a marketing ploy, as nobody would buy a book entitled The Suggestions of Acquisition. Also in this dream, Gint made reference to Rule #239, implying that at least that many had been written by Gint. ( ) According to some sources, the rules were written out of order, and Gint only wrote Rule #162. ( ) In 2151, Krem stated that there were 173 Rules of Acquisition. This implies that the rules were not all created at once, and have been added to over the centuries. ( ) By 2370, at the latest, all 285 rules had been written. ( }}) In 2371, Grand Nagus Zek re-wrote the Rules of Acquisition, giving them a more altruistic spin, after an experience with a Bajoran orb. The new rules were entitled The Rules of Acquisition, Revised for the Modern Ferengi. However, these revised rules were never published, and were only revealed to Quark and Rom on Deep Space 9. ( ) As part of the reform of Ferengi society instituted by Zek, the Rules of Acquisition were no longer taught to children. ( }}) The Known Ferengi Rules of Acquisition Appendices Questionable rules * In 2151, Krem quoted the 6th rule slightly differently, and calls the 95th rule the 45th. He also says there are only 173 rules of acquisition (although the rules are always being expanded). The discrepancies may all be the result of later changes to the rules, or he may simply be incorrect (he says himself he does not have the "lobes" for business). ( ) * The ''DS9'' Young Adult novel Prisoners of Peace gives FRoA#3 as "I found it; it's mine". * TNG novel Balance of Power gives FRoA#60 as "Let's you and him fight", as well as coming up with a rule it says is #303..."The sheep want to be fleeced!". * DS9 Young Adult novel Highest Score simplifies FRoA#16 to just "A deal is a deal". * In DS9 episode The House of Quark, Quark recites "Rule of Acquisition 286, when Morn leaves, it's all over." When Rom asserts there is no such rule, Quark states that there should be. * In the Voyager episode False Profits, Neelix, disguised as the Grand Proxy, recites "Rule of Acquisition 299; After you've exploited someone, it never hurts to thank them. That way, it's easier to exploit them next time." The rules, naturally, did not exceed 285 at that time. While consulting the Rules of Acquisition, Arridor came across the statement "When no appropriate rule applies, make one up." * It is assumed by many that "Discretion is the better part of valor." might be a rule of acquisition. Though the number is unknown, this belief among the fandom is reinforced by Quark saying that it is a belief of his people in the DS9 episode "The House of Quark" when his honor was challenged by his Klingon wife only for him to return later and make a fool of her brother in law, and in doing so preserving her house. * During the Hur'q invasion of 2410 in Star Trek Online, Grand Nagus Rom proposes two new Rules of Acquisition based on situations he encounters; the first being "If they can't be bought, get ready to fight!" when referring to the Hur'q. The second being "It's not smart to turn down a deal with the Grand Nagus." when discussing Brunt's failed attempt to double-cross Rom and Quark during a mission to recover the Sword of Kahless from T'Ket. External link * category:ferengi culture category:economics category:literature category:philosophy